“Scratch
the Holy Spirit”
A
Significant Erroneous Mark of the “Universal Objective Justification”
Enthusiasts
Comment
Following the Ichabod Article:
“Some
Thoughts Often Ignored by the Learned Pharisees of UOJ”
Ichabod -
While at
seminary I had Dr. Scaer for at least one course. It was about 13 -15 years
before he wrote this UOJ assessment in the Concordia Theological Quarterly, you
reference.
I don't
recall much (if anything) of his teaching, as my professor. I can only conclude
that the Holy Spirit shielded me from the universal objective justification error
that he may have taught when I was in his class.
One thing I
can say, I liked his class. I don't recall much homework. And, he was one to
encourage his students to think and discuss various Scriptures. He loved to
utilize the [then] $50 "Synopsis of the Four Gospels" - the
Greek-English Edition based upon the Greek Text of Nestle-Aland, the 26th Ed.
But, be that
as it may, the more I read this quotation of Dr. Scaer’s; it appears ambiguous
and simply out of whack. Without looking at any context, these two sentences
appear to be alien; and also alien to each other.
Here's what Professor Scaer incorrectly
says:
"Whoever
denies objective justification reduces justification to the act of believing
and does not believe in it at all. Logically, he denies the atonement and
preaches that man is responsible for his sins." [The Third Use of the Law:
Resolving the Tension – CTQ – 2005; page 256]
Dr. Scaer
introduces logic to make his (human) reasoned argument point. But his
contention isn't very Scriptural or logical when he claims that those who deny
objective justification deny the atonement. His statement is fallacious - the
old "either / or, argument."
Professor
Scaer (though) did get something right. Basically, he states that those who reject
(universal) "objective justification" preach that the sinner is responsible
for his sin. Of course we do – because we are! That is why the words of the
famous hymn lyric are so precious to the sinner / saint who strives against sin
and seeks to walk in the Spirit, seeking the "things that are above."
- Colossians 3:1:
"Nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.
Naked
come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace.
Foul,
I to the fountain fly, - wash me Savior, or I die!" [Third verse of “Rock
of Ages”]
Universal Objective Justification
enthusiasts, basically minimize, diminish and / or disregard Sanctification:
I
believe in the Holy Ghost; [Spirit] the holy Christian Church, the communion of
saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life
everlasting. Amen.
What
does this mean?
I
believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ , my
Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost [Spirit] has called me by the Gospel,
enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even
as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on
earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian
Church He daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers, and will
at the Last Day raise up me and all the dead, and give unto me and all
believers in Christ eternal life.
This
is most certainly true. [Dr. Martin Luther [b. 1483; d. 1546]
Christians of
all walks of life, and even, whether they are pastors or professors, often
forget and overlook the whole work and process of Sanctification. I'm becoming
more and more convinced that those who do [so] are easily sucked into the whole
UOJ - "universal objective justification" morass. By myopically
focusing solely on the Second Person of the Trinity they not only offend the
Holy Spirit, but His work of justification in the believer. Please again recall
what Luther stated in the aforementioned explanation of the 3rd Article of the
Apostle's Creed:
"............in
which Christian Church He daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers
......”
Those who put
all their "forgiveness 'eggs;’" into the universal objective
justification basket, simply err against the Holy Spirit and His ongoing
(continued) work in the life of the Christian believer. In reality they pervert
the Scripture. I could offer a couple major reasons why the UOJ enthusiasts are
driven to believe in their "scratch the Holy Spirit" false teaching,
but that must wait for another time and another occasion.
Oh - by the way, I am reminded of Dr.
Peter Scaer's book on “Christology,” Volume VI of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics
with Robert Preus the editor:
Professor
Scaer's last chapter is entitled: "The Ascension and Second Coming of
Christ." Not once did I notice a single reference to the Holy Spirit! This
is what I mean when I say that the error of the "universal objective
justification" enthusiasts is to slight the Holy Spirit. That's their
(failing) mark. They readily overlook how our true God, is Triune. They then
emphasis (without balance) the Second Person of the Trinity at the expense of
the Holy Spirit! And, I might add that Christ did not slight the Third Person
of the Trinity as He related to His [then] 12 disciples (and to us through the
divine revelation) that the Holy Spirit would be alive and well and very active
between His [Christ’s] Ascension and Second Coming!
Nathan M.
Bickel – emeritus pastor
 |
| Paul Scaer, LCMS pastor, died as an ELCA member. |
---
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Pastor Nathan Bickel on Scaer's UOJ":
Very good statements Rev. Bickel.
Scaer's UOJ statements remind me of a trifecta of quotes thrown at me by Evergreen Lutheran High School's Rev. Humann in his rage against one Justification solely by Faith Alone.
"But, sad to say, there are some Lutherans who want to be conservative and orthodox and yet find it very difficult to say with equal fervor and vigor that God has forgiven the sins of all men in Christ." (p.53)
"And yet many Lutherans still labor under the delusion that God does not forgive us unless we believe. Instead of seeing faith as nothing more than the spiritual hand with which we make the forgiveness of God our own, they see it as a reason why God forgives us. They believe that Christ has indeed provided forgiveness for all men, that God is willing to forgive them, but before he really forgives he first of all demands that we should be sorry for our sins and that we should have faith. Just have faith they say, and then God will forgive you. All the right words are there. The only thing wrong is that the words are in the wrong order. God does not forgive us IF we have faith. He has forgiven us long ago when he raised his Son from the dead." (p. 59)
Finally, "If forgiveness were dependent on faith in the sense that God does not forgive until we believe, we would always have to be sure that we are believers before we would be sure that we are forgiven." (p.60)
(W)ELS Our Great Heritage
The discussion ran from September to November 2008 and ended with the Board for Evergreen passing a resolution in favor of UOJ which included this gem:
”K. While the election controversy was in its second stage in the first years of the 20th Century, a somewhat related controversy over objective justification erupted. This development prompted August Pieper to write for the third volume of the Quartalschrift his unforgettable article. The conclusion reads:
One cannot oppose any doctrine of God’s Word with impunity; this increases sin and guilt, damages consciences and blinds the heart. One error begets another, as in the election controversy the insistence on intuitu fidei soon brought with itself the synergistic doctrine of conversion. But whoever molests the doctrine of justification stabs the gospel in the heart and is on the way of losing entirely Christian doctrine and personal faith and of falling into the arms of heathenism, even if he ever so much emphasizes justification by faith.”
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Pastor Nathan Bickel on Scaer's UOJ":
Very good statements Rev. Bickel.
Scaer's UOJ statements remind me of a trifecta of quotes thrown at me by Evergreen Lutheran High School's Rev. Humann in his rage against one Justification solely by Faith Alone.
"But, sad to say, there are some Lutherans who want to be conservative and orthodox and yet find it very difficult to say with equal fervor and vigor that God has forgiven the sins of all men in Christ." (p.53)
"And yet many Lutherans still labor under the delusion that God does not forgive us unless we believe. Instead of seeing faith as nothing more than the spiritual hand with which we make the forgiveness of God our own, they see it as a reason why God forgives us. They believe that Christ has indeed provided forgiveness for all men, that God is willing to forgive them, but before he really forgives he first of all demands that we should be sorry for our sins and that we should have faith. Just have faith they say, and then God will forgive you. All the right words are there. The only thing wrong is that the words are in the wrong order. God does not forgive us IF we have faith. He has forgiven us long ago when he raised his Son from the dead." (p. 59)
Finally, "If forgiveness were dependent on faith in the sense that God does not forgive until we believe, we would always have to be sure that we are believers before we would be sure that we are forgiven." (p.60)
(W)ELS Our Great Heritage
The discussion ran from September to November 2008 and ended with the Board for Evergreen passing a resolution in favor of UOJ which included this gem:
”K. While the election controversy was in its second stage in the first years of the 20th Century, a somewhat related controversy over objective justification erupted. This development prompted August Pieper to write for the third volume of the Quartalschrift his unforgettable article. The conclusion reads:
One cannot oppose any doctrine of God’s Word with impunity; this increases sin and guilt, damages consciences and blinds the heart. One error begets another, as in the election controversy the insistence on intuitu fidei soon brought with itself the synergistic doctrine of conversion. But whoever molests the doctrine of justification stabs the gospel in the heart and is on the way of losing entirely Christian doctrine and personal faith and of falling into the arms of heathenism, even if he ever so much emphasizes justification by faith.”
